My 20 minute Cragg Vale hill climb challenge

[ColinJ]

Currently a diversionary route, due to a sinkhole opening in the main road through the valley.

The A646 has just reopened (with traffic light control at the roadworks) so the diversion has been lifted.

I bet the extra traffic through Cragg Vale was a bit of a nightmare. I know it was through Blackshaw Head with drivers ignoring the long official diversion and trying a shorter unofficial one through the village.

Wouldn't recommend it at this time. Complaints of vehicles speeding in both directions. Road surface has also been damaged.

Aaargh - the surface was bad enough before! Not so bad going up of course, but I do not enjoy going down that way.

Would this be the strava segment?

No, that is the full climb from the sign at the bottom. Speaking of which - I noticed that the sign has changed and looked up why...

The sign used to be imperial units only, then they changed it to include metric units:

And then they changed it again to what it now is:

THIS is why. I think that is a very nice gesture.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

a man in the 75-85kg range, who did it in 19:59m whilst aged 45-55 years, at 320W average (power meter data)

Power to weight ratio in the 3.7 to 4.2 W/kg range then. That’s me out then, I could not maintain that power to weight ratio for 20 mins.

Calculations suggest I could achieve between 21.5 to 24 mins, working at my FTP and weight. Of course that's not taking in account bike weights.

 

[ColinJ]

Top ten for what might be called a 'senior' age group though. That said, there are nearly four hundred people in that age group on the TT segment so it's pretty competitive.

I do think you should reconsider the wind thing; not just because it's rare to get a calm day there, but because, for most notable segments, the top of the leaderboard is populated by people trying very hard with a considerable tailwind. I'm afraid that if you're turning into a segment hunter you'll need to comply with the tacit protocol on that one. i.e. I infer that 20m is rather hard, so wind assistance is probably essential. And it's an actual TT course, so people will really have been trying very hard indeed.

You are right, of course!

My thinking was coloured by one experience as a super-fit cyclist. I really attacked the climb that time and shot up there. There was an eerie silence all the way up, which I couldn't quite figure out. I wasn't timing myself that evening, but if I had been I am sure that I would have taken minutes off my PB. I felt that my training efforts were at last paying off and I had clearly achieved a superb level of fitness.

Then I stopped at the top and saw huge waves breaking away from me on the reservoir's surface. There was also now a roaring sound in my ears. Yes, I'd had a tailwind from heaven which had been at the speed that I was I riding, so I had effectively climbed pretty much without air resistance... I was a cycling mortal after all!

 

[ColinJ]

Power to weight ratio in the 3.7 to 4.2 W/kg range then. That’s me out then, I could not maintain that power to weight ratio for 20 mins.

I reckon that I need to do around 3.8 W/kg. I'm a little bit below that level at the moment...

 

[ColinJ]

I reckon that I need to do around 3.8 W/kg. I'm a little bit below that level at the moment...

Currently, around 2.7 W/kg, which would be 2.9 W/kg at my target weight!

 

[ColinJ]

Ok, my aim is to get as close as possible to 20 minutes, taking full advantage of the weather conditions, and if I ever manage that, to (a) go even faster and/or (b) repeat the achievement with less help from tailwinds!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Currently, around 2.7 W/kg, which would be 2.9 W/kg at my target weight!

I am currently 3.6 W/kg. I have held 4W/kg for 8 mins a few times, but 20 mins would be a stretch!

I think Andrew Feather when he last won the British hill climbing championship. put out over 7W/kg for about 13 mins.

 

[Norry1]

I did my best ever 20 minute power last year on a steep climb in Tenerife - managing 302W (4.2 w/kg). Don't think I would be able to match that on Cragg Vale as it is a much shallower climb - and I can put out more power against a strong resistance. I might just be able to make 4 w/kg - maybe I'll give it a try if I get up that neck of the woods this year.

PS Colin, I agree with @Sea of vapours If you are shooting for a KOM, you take all the (legal) advantages going. The best times were usually in advantageous weather conditions, possibly in a race or with significant drafting. Just don't get a friend to drive a car just in front of you ... I think that is slightly to be frowned upon

 

[Dogtrousers]

Just don't get a friend to drive a car just in front of you ... I think that is slightly to be frowned upon

Hey @ColinJ I could arrange for you to be passed an incredibly sticky bottle. I won't tell anyone.

 

[ColinJ]

I definitely don't think in terms of KOM...

I am realistic about the state of my ageing, clot-damaged lungs, and I don't use Strava anyway so I don't even see what other people have done on the hills that I go up. All I know is that many other riders cheerfully overtake me!

I think PB! I think that my actual PB would have been that wind-assisted ascent mentioned above but I didn't time it. It felt like about 22 minutes but I will go with the best ride that I actually did time - 24 min 30 sec. I think that I was heavier then so that should help me now.

 

[ColinJ]

Hmm... I just checked with Bike Calculator the difference that using the drops would make. Apparently, with a modest headwind, even at my low speed I could save close to 2 minutes! I never climb on the drops, so that is something that I will have to try.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Any position change, you need to practice putting out the power target. No good getting to 18 mins and glory, only for your back to explode as you fall sideways from the effort.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Hmm... I just checked with Bike Calculator the difference that using the drops would make. Apparently, with a modest headwind, even at my low speed I could save close to 2 minutes! I never climb on the drops, so that is something that I will have to try.

If you get a skin suit, it's ok we will believe you. Please don't feel the need to post photos.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Maybe @ColinJ could get a team of huskies ?

 

[ColinJ]

Maybe @ColinJ could get a team of huskies ?

View attachment 760532

That's not a husky!

I enjoyed today's sunny 24 km ride and carefully analysed the ride data. My revised Cragg Vale challenge is to get up the climb in less than 90 minutes and average at least 100 W while doing so!